The Sunday News
OVER the past few articles we have been speaking about selling your house. We discussed the “curb appeal” of the property.
This is your property’s first impression, it is what a potential buyer sees as they approach your home. Then we looked at your property’s second impression.
This is what a potential buyer sees once they come through the gate. This includes the outside of the house, the driveway, the garden, the maintenance, and the out-buildings.
The buyer will want to see the inside of the home, prior to making that huge financial decision to purchase your property. What can you do to increase your chances of a successful sale?
Here are some great tips.
Be sure that your house is clean and tidy. A cluttered, dirty home is off-putting and makes a house less attractive. A cluttered room will always look smaller than a neat room.
Before the buyer comes, open the curtains, open the windows and turn on the lights. This will make the room feel more inviting and seem larger, bright, and airy.
Have someone come to your house and let them tell you how the house smells. This may seem like a funny suggestion, however, there are many smells that a homeowner gets used to smelling, that can be offensive to others.
Cigarette smoke, pet odours, and cooking smells can be easily unnoticed by those living in the house, but these can cause a buyer to refuse a purchase.
I once heard of a story where a Real Estate agent would bake a loaf of bread in the oven about 30 minutes before the potential buyer would arrive.
They would like the smell and it would cause them to view the home with a more favourable eye (or nose!).
Put pets away before the scheduled viewing. Many people are afraid of animals, and others have religious prohibitions from being in contact with certain animals.
A good viewing can be destroyed by a pet jumping up on the client, putting dirt or mud on their nice clothes.
A properly maintained home will nearly always sell more easily than one which is poorly maintained. Little repairs can go a long way.
Allow your registered Real Estate agent to show the property. Many homeowners will interfere with this process. Your Real Estate agent is a professional and knows what they are doing.
I have seen many homeowners who sabotage a good viewing by tagging along. I find it far easier to show a home when the seller has given us room to move freely through the house.
It is better if the seller is nowhere to be seen! The buyer will feel free to point out issues they may have with the property. Most people would hesitate to do this in front of the owner.
As the Real Estate Agent, they should feel more open to express their thoughts, concerns, and ideas about the property.
This will allow the Real Estate agent and the homeowner to work together in the most effective way. Issues that are raised can be addressed and corrected.
These six simple suggestions can increase your chances of a reasonable offer and successful sale. This transaction is a big deal to both the Seller and the Buyer, so we need to do everything we can to make the process easier for all parties.
Follow these ideas, and you will be more likely to have a favourable outcome. Good luck!
Jonathan Thompson is a registered Real Estate Agent who works in Bulawayo.
He has nine years of experience in Real Estate in the USA, and another 10 years’ experience in Bulawayo. He is the founder and the Managing Director of Thompson Properties (Pvt) Ltd.
